Automatic train-control system.



C. F. ESTWICK.

A UTOMATIGTRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM. 7

APPLICATION FILED APR- 1. 1916.

- mmmm Patented Api 23, 1918.

. V\ w R w h m 2 9% m F V.@ w 1 M w ww in n CHARLES E. ESTWICK, OFROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, 015GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-CONTROL SYSTEM. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, CHARLEs F. EsTWIoK, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Train-Control Systems, of which the following is aspecification. This invention relatesto systems for automatically'controlling railway trafiic, and more particularly to such systems inwhich the movements of trains are automatically controlled according totraffic conditions by suitable train control apparatus carried by thetrain and responsive to the operation of a control relay, said controlrelay being automaticallyenergized or denergized at certain controlpoints along the track in accordance withtraflic conditions, and inwhich the necessary communication between the track and the train ispreferably accomplished by means of the cooperation of contact shoes onthe train with contact rails located at said control points.

When provision is made for automatically controlling railway trains, itisdesirable to include in the same train two or more cars each equippedwith automatic train control apparatus and each capable of controllingthe movement of the train as a whole, it being apparent that when anyoneof several train control apparatus is capable of controlling themovement of the train as a whole the failure of one or more of theseapparatus does not deprive the train entirely of its protection. Thecars which are so equipped with the train control apparatus may belocomotives, mot-or cars, or other cars in the train; but hereinafter inthe de scription of this invention it will be assumed that the train isof the electrically operated type commonly used on elevated railroadsand on subways. The train for this class of traiiic ordinarily comprisesa number of electrically operated cars, commonly termed motor cars,either with or without additional cars which are not electricallyoperated. It should be understood, however, that the invention is notlimited to, this type of train, and may be used in connection withtrains drawn by steam locomotives, or with trains Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed April 1,

Patented Apr. as, rare. 1916. Serial No. 88,370.

moved by other types of locomotives to v\ hich this invention may beadvantageously applied.

Where the train includes a number of cars each equipped with a traincontrol apparatus, it is desirable, in order that the movement of thetrain as a whole may not be unnecessarily delayed, to make provisionwhereby the train control apparatus on the several cars of the train maybe controlled v simultaneously or at least simultaneously released. Thissimultaneous control may be readily obtained by using some form ofconnection between the several cars of the train so equipped; andaccording to the system to which it is contemplated that this inventionis particularly applicable, this connection is made electrically bymeans of a continuous conductor or bus line extending between theseseveral cars. As indicated above, it is contemplated that the traincontrol apparatus on the several cars is governed by control relays onsaid cars; and in the particular arrangement contemplated, each ofthese.

a system such as outlined above, difiiculties a re encountered where atrain is lon ,er than a block, or longer than the distance etween twosuccessive ramps or contact rails, so that the contact shoes of twoseparate cars may at the same time come into contact with two separateramps, for the reason that the partial circuits along the trackassociated with said ramps include sources of current of differentvoltage, and inthis way circuits are set up which permit an excessiveand improper flow of current.

One of the objects of this invention is to devise a system forautomatically controlling railway trains of substantially the characterspecified in which a number of cars, each equipped with automatic traincontrol apparatus, may be included in the same train and in which thecontrol relays and train control apparatus on these several cars may besimultaneously governed efliciently and reliably regardless of thenumber of these cars included in the train, or their position in thetrain, or of the length of the blocks, or of the length of the train.

Other objects and advantages williappear as the description of theinvention progrosses and'the nov el'features of the invention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended felaims. i

In general the invention consists in the parts, and in the controllingcircuits therefor, and in the arrangements and combinations of parts,which will be more fully explained hereinafter.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to theaccompanying drawing, in which isillustrated the preferred physicalembodiment of the invention, and in which the single figure is adiagrammatic View of a railway train and a track therefor and shows theparts of an automatic train control system of the type to which theinvention is particularly pplicable, to gether with the parts andcontrolling cir; cuits embodying the preferre orm of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, one rail 1 of the track iselectrically continuous, the separate rail sections thereof beingsuitably bonded together; and the other track rail 2 is divided intoelectrically isolated blocks by insulating joints 3, there beingillustrated in the drawing one complete block designated B and the endsof the two adjacent blocks designated A and The blocks A, B and C may beof any suitable lcngth necessary to obtain the desired spacing of thetrains; but. in practice these blocks will vary in length and in somecases there may be a blockwhich is shorter than the length of the train.

The parts and electrical connections associated with each block are thesame, and these parts and connections for the block C will be given thesame reference characters as the corresponding parts and connectionsassociated with the block B, with the distinctive exponent 1 addedthereto. The normal direction of trallic is indicated by the arrowmarked Traflic.

Associated with each block and located preferably at the entrance endthereof is a ramp It of suitable construction. The current for thecircuits along the track is preferably supplied from an alternatingcurrent generator 4 along line wires 5 and 6; and located adjacent tothe entrance of each block is a transformer 7 the primary of which isconnected by conductors S and 9 to said line wir s 5 and 6. At one endof each block, preferabl; he exit end, a portion 10 of the secondary ofthe correspondmg transformer 7 is connected by conductors 11 and 12across the track rails l and 2; and at the other, or entrance end, ofeach block a track relay 13 of suitable construction is connected byconductors l-l and 15 across the track rails 1 and 2, said track relay13 being responsive to alternating current and having two armatures l6and 17. The difference of potential between each ramp R and the trackrail 1 hereinbefore referred to, is derived from a portion 18 of thesecondary of the corresponding transformer 7; and one terminal of thissecondary portion 18 is connected by a conductor 19 to the track rail 1,this secondary port ion 18 being provided with taps 20 and 21 by meansof which suitable voltages necessary for the proper operation of thesystem may be obtained.

The conductors and electrical connections between the different parts ofthe system located along the track will not be described in detail sincethese electrical connections, together with the operating circuitsnecessary for the clear understanding of this invention, will be fullydescribed hereinafter in the description of the operation.

In the diagrammatic illustration shown in the accompanying drawing, twomotor cars are shown,'one at the head end of a train and the other at ornear the rear end of said train; but it is to be understood that severalmotor cars may be included between those shown in the drawing, and alsothe motor cars shown may be preceded or followed by others. The frontmotor car is illustrated diagrammatically as comprising a pair of wheels22-22 connected by the usual axle 23, and the rear motor car isillustrated as comprising a pair of wheels 2424 connected by an axle 25;and the axles 23 and 25 are shown connected by a bar 26 which isintended to repre nt the frames of these motor cars and the intermediatecars. The train control apparatus and electrical connections associatedwith each motor car is constructed the same, and a description of onewill sutliee for both, the parts and connections for the front motor carbeing given the same reference characters as the corresponding parts ofthe rear motor car, with the exponent 1 added thereto.

Each motorcar is equipped with a contact shoe of suitable constructionwhich is shown diagrammatically as consisting of a vertically movableplunger 28 supported in a bracket 27, assumed to he of insulatedmaterial and supported by a journal box of the corresponding motor car.The shoe or plunger 28 is pressed downwardly by a compression spring 29interposed between a collar fixed to said shoe and the under face of thebracket 27 and secured to the upper The rod 30 is made larger thanthe'shoe 28 to form a shoulder adapted to strike the upper face of thebracket 27 and limit the downward movement of said shoe. The shoes 28are arranged in the same plane as the ramps R, and as each,motor carpasses a ramp, the shoe 28 carried thereby 1s ralsed to the positionshown in the drawing.

The automatic control of the train is obtained by. the operation of asuitable train control apparatus which is illustrated conventionallyinthe drawing and designated -K. This apparatus K may be of any suitable construction, and since its particular construction. forms no partof this invention, and since various devices Well known in the artpossess its necessary functions and characteristics, the construction ofthe apparatus K is not illustrated and de scribed in detail.

upon the whole train immediately upon its operation, or after a certaininterval; and in some cases the operation of the apparatus K may be madedependent in some appropriate manner upon the speed of the train, orupon the combined speed of the train and its distance from a certainpoint. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the ap paratusK isassumed to be-constructed so that it will be set into operation when theelectric current normally supplied to it is cut off, and that theapparatus K will be restored to its idle condition when the current isre-applied to it. The apparatus K is controlled by a control relay 33having two armatures 34 and 35; and when the control. relay 33 1senerglzed and its armature 35- is in its upper position, current issupplied from a battery 36 to the apparatus K along a circuit which canbe easily traced in the drawing. When the contact shoe 28 is not inengagement with a ramp and is in its lower position, and when thecontrol relay 33 is energized, said. control relay 33 is maintainedenergized by current derived from a local source of current on the motorcar, such as a battery 37, along a circuit which may be traced asfollows:

Circuit member one.

Commencing at the battery 37, conductor 38, control relay 33, conductors39 and 40, armature 34 of the control relay 33 in its upper position,conductor 41, contact finger 3:2 of the shoe 28 in its lower or closedposition, and conductors 42 and 43, back to the battery 37.

The control relay 33 is also governed by The apparatus K may be soconstructed so as to apply the brakes tilt another relay 44, and issupplied with current from the battery 37 when said other relay 44 isenergized along a circuit which may be traced as folloyvs:

Circuit number two.

Commencing at the battery 37, conductor 38, relay 33,conductors 39 and46, armature 45 of the relay 44 in its upper position, and conductors 47and 43, back to the battery 37. The relay 44 is connected by conductors48 and 49 to the secondary of a transformer T carried on the motor car;and one terminal of the primary of the said transformer is connected bya conductor 51 to a continuous conductor or bus line 50 extendingbetween the several motor cars included in the train, the other terminalof the primary of said transformer being connected by a conductor 52 tothe frame or wheels of the correspond ing motor car. 1

Associated with each motor car is a pair of cooperating contactsdesignated 60, and. these contacts 60 are preferably operativelyconnected to the master controller or other device used. for controllingthe movements of the train in a suitable manner, Which Will varyaccording to the particular type of controller used, so that this pairof contacts will .be closed when the motorman applies his handle to thiscontroller or makes such other preparations as are necessary to enablehim to run the train from this motorcar. Ordinarily, a train iscontrolled from the front motor car, and from this motor car only, sothat in practice the pair of contacts 60 on the front motorcar will beclosed, While the similar pairs of contacts on the other motor cars ofthe train will be open.

In general the operation of the automatic train control system issubstantially the 1915;v and. only as much. of the description andsameas that shown and described in the the block B n0r the block is occupiedby another train. Under these conditions when the contact shoe 28 of thefront motor car of the train engages the ramp B, it is raised,

and contact finger 32 interrupts the circuit through the control relay33 analogous to the circuit number one hereinbefore traced, In this way,each time a motor car passes a ramp, the current normally supplied tothe control relay 33 on that motor car is cut off and unless asubstitute. current is supplied to said control relay along some othercireuit, the armatures of said control relay will drop 'and set theapparatus K into operation. This substitute current is supplied along acircuit analogous to circuit number two by ener'gizin the relay 44Before the front pair of W eels 22-22 of the train actually enters theblock B, a difference of potential, derived from the secondary portion18 of the transformer 7, will be applied across the bus line 50 on thetrain and the track rail 1 according to a circuit which may be traced asfollows:

Commencing at the track rail 1, conductor 19, secondary portion 18 ofthe transformer 7 tap '21, conductor 53, armature 16 of the track relay13 in its upper position, conductor 54, ramp R, contact shoe 28conductor 55 contact finger 31 in its upper position, conductor 56contacts 60 and coliductor 57 This difference of potential establishedby the last traced circuit causes current to flow through the primary ofthe transformer '1 oneach of the motor cars of'the train alongconductors 51 and 52, as is obvious; and the current induced in thesecondary of each transformer energizes the corresponding rclay 44 andcauses the closing of circuit number two.

After the first pair of wheels 22 of the train actually enters the blockB, the track relay 13 is denergized andthe ramp R instead of beingconnected to the secondary of the transformer 7 is connected byconductor 54, armature 16 of track relay 13 in its lower position,conductor 59, armature 17 of the track relay 13 in its upperpositionan'd cond .ctor 61 to the tap 20 of the secondary portion 18 ofthe transformer 7 providing the block C is not occupied by anothertrain. In case the block C is occupied at the time the first mentionedtrain enter the block B, the armature 17 of the track relay 13 will bein its lower position, thereby disconnecting the ramp R- from thesecondaries of both of the transformers 7 and 7 In the first case, whenthe block 0 is not occupied, current isdirectly supplied to the relays Hon the several motor cars of the trains, and

these relays are so designed that if their armatures 45 are in theirupper position at this time, they will remain in their upper position,thereby maintaining the circuit number two and keeping the controlrelays 33 energized until the entire train has passed the ramp R. On theother hand, if the block C is occupied at the time the train en- 'tersthe block B, the relays 41 on the several motor cars of the train willbe deenergized, and sine, the circuit number one associated with eachcontrol relay 33 is interrupted while the corresponding motor car passesthe ramp R, these control relays 33 will be denergized in succession soas to set the apparatus K into operation on the several motor carssuccessively. In this connection it is noted that the train controlapparatus K on each of the motor cars is preferably made effective tocontrol the movement of the train as a whole, and it is preferable tohave all of these train control apparatus capable of acting so as toobtain the benefit of the operation of the several train controlappar'atus- To explain the features and characteristics of thisinvention, assume that the block B is shorter than the train underconsideration, and assume'that two motor cars' of this train occupysubstantially the position shown in the drawing, that is. the contactshoe of the front motor car being in contact with the ramp ll and thecontact shoe of the other motor car being in contact with the ramp R.Disregarding for the moment the improvement embodying this invention andassuming that the bus line 50 is directly connected to the contact shoes'28 of the motor cars, it can be seen that under these conditions aportion of the secondary of the transformer 7 is closed upon itselfthrough a path of comparatively low resistance as follows: commencing atthe tap 21 of said secondary, conductor 53 armature 16 of the trackrelay 13 in its upper position, conductor 51, ramp R shoe 28 bus line50, shoe 28. ramp R, conductor 54, armature 16 of track relay 13 in itslower position, conductor 59, armature 17 of track relay 13 andconductor 61 to tap 20 of said secondary. It is undesirable to have thispath for current set up because of the excessive flow of current whichmay damage the conductors and transformer, and also because of theeffect produced on the proper operation of the relays 11; and animportant feature of this invention is that such a path is notestablished.

Referring now to the improvement embodying this invention, it can beseen that the front contact shoe 28 is connected by conductor 55 contactfinger 31 in its upper position, conductor 56 contact 60 and conductor57 to the bus line 50. On the contrary, the other contact shoe 28 is notconnected to the bus line 50, since the contacts 60 on this motorcar areopen, and since the conductor 62 is disconnected from the conductor 56by reason of the fact that the contact finger 31 is in its upperposition. In the same way the contact shoes of the motor cars betweenthe motor cars shown and of the motor cars in the rear are alldisconnected from the bus line 50; and any curfinger '31 of said contactshoe returns to its lower position thereby connecting the bus line 50along conductors 62 and 56 to the contact finger 31 of the contact shoeof the neXt motor car in the rear; and since the contact shoe of thisnext motor car in the rear is in contact with the ramp R the bus line isconnected to said contact shoe. The contact finger 32 of this next motorcar in the rear, now opposite the ramp R being in its upper position,the contact shoes of all of the motor cars in the rear of said. motorcar are disconnected-froin the bus line 50.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that the contact shoe ofeach motor car is connected to the bus line 50 by means of conductors 56and 62 extending to Contact shoe of the next motor car in advance, andso on, to the front motor car of the train. It is also apparent that aseach contact shoe is operated it disconnects all of the contact shoes inthe rear of it from the bus line. In short, each contact shoe as itengages a ramp, disconnects or renders inefl'cctive all the con tactshoes of the train in the rear of it so that regardless oi th length ofthe train. the. length of the blocks, or the number of diflerent contactshoes in contact with the different ramps at the same time, only theforemost contact shoe of the train. which is in ei'igagement with aramp, is effective to control the movement of the train.

Although I have particularly described the construction. of one physicalembodin'ieut of my invention, and explained the operation and principlethereof; nevertheless, I. desire to have it understood that the formselected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possiblephysical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

- What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

'1. In a system for automatically protecting railway tratfic, incombination: a train including a number of vehicles; trallic pro-,tccting apparatus carried by each vehicle;

means for simultaneously governing said apparatus on the severalvehicles; a contact shoe carried by each vehicle for governing saidmeans; and means controlled by each contact shoe and eli'ective when itoperated for rendering the contact shoes of the Vehicles in the rearthereof inefi'cctivc to control said. first mentioned means.

2. in a system for automatically protecting railway tratlic, incombination: a train inchiding a number of Vehicles; a bus line.extending between said vehicles; a partial circuit on each vehicleterminating at said bus line; traific protecting apparatus on eachvehicle governed by the correspmiding partial circuit; a contact shoecarried by each vehicle; a second normally continuous bus lineextendingbetween said contact shoes;

a connection. between said first bus line and said second bus line nearthe front end of the train; and means governed by each contact shoe forinterrupting said second bus line at that contact shoe and forsimultaneously connecting that contact shoe electrically to the portionof said second .bus line extending towaldthe front end of the train.

3. In a system for automatically protecting railway traiiic, incombination: a track; a train adapted to travel over said track andincluding a number of vehicles; trafiie protecting apparatus on eachvehicle; a. bus line extending between said vehicles; a partial circuiton each vehicle terminating at said bus line andat the wheels of saidvehic'le for governing the corresponding traiiic protecting apparatus; acontact shoe carried on each vehicle; means for connecting each contactshoe to said bus line which is dependent upon the contact shoes ahead ofthat contact shoe being in their normal position; and means along thetrack for establishing a di'tlerence of potential between a track railand said contact shoes successively as they pass a predetermined pointalong said track.

l. in a system to" automatically protect ing railway trallic, incombination: a train n luding a number of vehicles: traliic prote'ctingapparatus carried by each vehicle; a relay carried by each ve icle forcontrolling said apparatus which is responsive to alte ating current;means for simultaneously governing said relays; a contact shoe carriedby each vehicle for governing said means; and means controlled by eachcontact shoe and effective when it is operated for rendering the contactshoes of the vehicles in the rear thereof ineffective to control saidfirst mentioned means.

5. In a system for automatically protecting railway traflic, incombination: a train including a number of vehicles; a bus lineextending between said vehicles; a partial circuit on each vehicleterminating at said bus line; tra'liie protecting apparatus On eachvehicle governed by the corresponding partial circuit; a contact shoecarried by each vehicle; a second normally continuous bus line extendingbetween said contact shoes; a connection between said first bus line andsaid second bus line near the front of each vehicle; circuit controllingmeans included in each of said connections for governing the movementsof said train; and means governed by each contact shoe for interruptingsaid second bus line at that contact shoe and for simultaneouslyconnecting that shoe electrically to the portion of said second bus lineextending toward the front end of the train.

6. Tu a system for automatically protecting railway trallic, incombination: a track divided into track circuit bloc ts; a train adaptedto travel over said track and lIlClllCl-r ing a number of vehicles;traffic protecting apparatus on said vehicles; a bus line extendingbetween said vehicles; a partial circuit on each vehicle terminating atsaid bus line and at the Wheels of said vehicles for governing thetrafiic protecting apparatus; a contact shoe carried by each vehicle forestablishing electrical communication between the vehicle and the track;contact rails associated with each block and arranged in position to beengaged by said shoe; partial circuits along the track terminating atsaidcontact rails and said track rails; said partial circuits includingsources of current of difierent voltages and being governed by the trackcircuit section of the corresponding block; and means for connectingeach contact shoe to said bus line which is dependent upon the contactshoes ahead of that contact shoe being in their normal position.

7. In a system for automatically protectin railway trafiic, incombination: a track divided into track circuit blocksg-a trainincluding a number of vehicles adapted to travel oversaid track; a relaycarried by each vehicle; means for simultaneously ovshoe; trafiicprotecting apparatus governed by said second mentioned relay; and meanscontrolled by each contact shoe and effective when it is operated forrendering the contact shoes of the vehicles in the rear thereofineffective to control said first mentioned means.

8. In a system for automatically protecting railway traffic incombination: a train includin a number of vehicles; trafiicprotecting'apparatus on each vehicle; means for simultaneously governingsaid apparatus on the several vehicles; a contact shoe carried by eachvehicle for governing said means; and means controlled by each contactshoe and effective when it is operated for successively rendering thecontact shoes in the rear thereof inefiective to control said firstmentioned means.

9. In a system for automatically protecting railway traflic, incombination; a track divided into track circuit blocks; a trainincluding a number of vehicles; a contact shoe carried by each vehicle;traflic protecting ap aratus carriedyby each of said vehicles angoverned by the corresponding contact shoe; ramps located at intervalsalong the track in position to be engaged by said shoes; circuitcontrolling means on each of said shoes; a circuit including in serieseach of said circuit controlling means on the several shoes; and meansincluded in each of said shoes and operated when said shoes successivelyengage said ramps for successively interrupting said circuit at thatcontact shoe and for simultaneously connecting that contact shoeelectrically with the contact ,shoe on the first vehicle in the train.

10. A system for automatically protecting railway traflic, of the classdescribed comprising, a means for simultaneously controlling a pluralityof traffic protecting apparatus, a plurality of contact shoes carried ona plurality of moving vehicles and means controlled by each contact shoeand effective when it is operated for renderin the contact shoes of thevehicles in the rear thereof ineffective to control said first mentionedCHARLES F. ESTVVICK.

1 means.

